Oct 25, 2012

5 Surprising ways You're Ruining Your Skin....

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it..
Whatever you do, do it in moderation...

Just when us gals in the beauty department get all cocky and think we have our skin-beautifying routines all figured out (sunscreen every day, the right products for our skin type, eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, etc.), some smartypants dermatologist comes along and dishes out a bunch of new info to consider. According to Dr. Dennis Gross,who is a constant stream of amazing skincare advice, these are five practices that could negatively affect your skin.

1. Outdated glasses/contact lens prescription:

Anything that makes you squint — like reading or working in a poorly lit room, or not updating your contact lens prescription — leads to more fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area. Get to an eye doctor, stat!

2. Steam rooms:

We all love a good detoxifying sessions in a steam room or sauna, but Dr. Gross says to limit your exposure to these extreme-heat bad boys because they decompose skin's elastin and collagen. Eeeeek!

3. Running (or any high-impact exercise):

"While such exercise may benefit our hearts, it can cause the fat pads to slide south, and collagen and elastin to break down. If you enjoy running, try walking," explains Dr. Gross. OMG — remember on Ally McBeal when Jane Krakowski's character invented the face bra for jogging? It was for this!

4. Not sleeping:

Okay, it's not news that pulling an all-nighter makes your skin look like crud the next day, but did you know that chronic sleep deprivation leads to long-term skin problems? "Lack of sleep can be so stressful that it actually causes our bodies, including our skin, to generate free radicals," says Dr. Gross. More free radicals mean you look older, faster.

5. Tap water:

Here is to good health

Chlorine in tap water can strip the natural oils from skin and cause dryness and irritation, especially in the winter when there is less humidity in the air to balance it out. I can vouch for that — try a shower head with a built-in water filter and you will probably notice fewer dry patches on your legs.

Remember no one knows what's best for us, but ourselves. I believe that as long as you do everything in moderation you should be OK. As they say,